2013 Chamber of the Year

The Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce has been named the 2013 United States Chamber of Commerce of the Year. The American Chamber of Commerce Executives announced the honor for this year’s prestigious Chamber of the Year award last night at the national chamber of commerce convention in Oklahoma City.

“We had nine Norfolk chamber members, including 5 board members, in Oklahoma City to cheer us on and ultimately celebrate our success with us. When your peers around the nation select you as the best Chamber in the country, it is very humbling. Our team has worked hard and we appreciate being recognized for our success” says Dennis Houston, President and CEO of the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce.

Houston says, “This prestigious designation is much more than simply chamber recognition. It is an amazing honor to celebrate unity in the entire Norfolk area. We are a proud organization made up of 670+ members that represent 15,000 employees and jobs in Northeast Nebraska. Our amazing board of directors, volunteers and staff are the backbone of the organization that is being recognized. We accepted this award last night on behalf of our entire community. Today we celebrate the collaboration among our community partners that made this success possible.”

Scott Williams, Chair of the Chamber Board of Directors indicated “We have an phenomenal team at the Norfolk Chamber who work very well with 100’s of volunteers and community partners to accomplish great things for the Norfolk area. We were a Chamber of the Year finalist in 2011 and are very excited to be named the 2013 Chamber of the Year.” Williams and Houston were both interviewed in Oklahoma City as part of the final judging process.

Each year up to four chambers of commerce are honored (based on community size) with ACCE’s Chamber of the Year designation, recognizing excellence in operations, member services and community leadership. Applications are reviewed and scored by a committee of seasoned chamber executives and former Chamber of the Year winners. The other finalists in the Norfolk Chamber category were the Hays (KS) Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mayfield Graves County (KY) Chamber. The four categories are based on the size of the chambers and the communities.

For more details, please contact the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce at 402-371-4862

The Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary business organization dedicated to improving business and building a better community in Norfolk and northeast Nebraska. The Chamber is a place for everyone who shares the desire to improve the community and the region. The mission of the Chamber is to promote, protect and serve the interests of our members and the community we serve. The Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce is located at 609 W. Norfolk Ave; Norfolk, Nebraska, 68701.